SSB Superstars (Port Royal Smash)
SSB Superstars, also known as Superstars of Smash or simply Superstars, is a Super Smash Bros. online show. The show was touted as a major event and held on special occasions and was the first original production of Port Royal Smash. The first episode was held on 12 December 2015 and subsequently held on numerous occasions. Two full episodes are available to stream on YouTube. The show was a compliment program to SSB Heat and SSB Velocity. Superstars is the only show which Port Royal Network produced following the Port Royal Smash hiatus under the Ultimate Smash Championship banner. History The origins of Superstars ''can be traced back to 2008. Port Royal Network began to host weekly gaming events featuring Super Smash Bros. Brawl for Nintendo Wii. These events ran through 2009 before being disbanded. In 2015, a relaunched Port Royal Network expressed interest in developing a competitive video game scene. The Network decided to launch a Super Smash Bros competition which would feature the newest entry in the series - Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. The Network organised a special event which was named ''SSB Night of Champions' '''in June 2015. Following the success and rising interest in Smash Bros, the Network immediately began plans for a second event the following month titled ''Elimination Chamber ''which continued the rise. A third event was held under the title of ''Superstars ''on 14 December 2015. The show featured players battling against Amiibo in tag team matches. The special edition which took place on Christmas Day 2015 falls under the ''Superstars banner. In April 2016, Port Royal Smash announces it was going to produce a tribute show on ANZAC Day to Australian service men and women. Superstars was subsequently selected to host the tribute show and this episode is often regarded as the flagship Superstars show. The next Superstars show was held in the lead up to Civil War 2016. By the end of 2016, Port Royal Smash saw a slow decline in interest and by September 2016, Port Royal Network cancelled the weekly TV shows and placed Port Royal Smash on hiatus. With the launch of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, there was renewed interest in Smash Bros. and Port Royal Network announced plans to revive Port Royal Smash which was under the name Ultimate Smash Championship. Several unbranded live events were held until Superstars Live which took place on several occasions and have upcoming dates planned. Production Initially'' Port Royal Smash was recorded at the Port Royal Network Outdoor Studio using Sony equipment. The set featured a large screen with an LED lighting net on the left and right. The player booth was positioned in front of the screen with the audiences placed in between. The player booth featured seats for the players, controllers for players to select, food and beverages, along with the audio and visual equipment including the protector and Nintendo Wii U system. Commentary was provided at a separate area on the side of the canopy. Starting in April 2016, production moved to a new indoor studio which was also the main base for Port Royal Network. The new set featured a smaller screen, LED lights on the ceiling and coloured spotlights around the studio which changed colours for entrances and the show being filmed. The player booth initially was in front of the screen similar to the Outdoor Studio however was moved to the left of the set and joined with the commentary table at the end of June 2016. Player entrances were again from behind the screen on the left but changed to where players would enter the booth from their seats in the audience. There exists an unreleased pilot of Superstars which took place 23 January 2016 which was not uploaded to the Port Royal Smash YouTube channel due to technical difficulties. The show however is complete and may see an official release in the future. From the first episode, ''Superstars opened with "New Day Coming" by CFO$. Starting with the revived Port Royal Smash in 2019, Superstars theme song is "The Resistance" by Skillet. Superstars has always been produced in 16:9 widescreen and starting with the 21 June 2016 edition was uploaded in HD. Superstars ''features minimal on screen graphics compared to other Super Smash Bros presentations by other organisations. A small white Smash Ball logo appears in the bottom right, the hashtag (#ssbsuperstars) in the top left with the Port Royal Network logo in the top right. During championship matches, a quick animated graphic was displayed prior to the match showing which title is to be contested. Broadcast ''Superstars is exclusively broadcast on YouTube with two original full episodes available for streaming. In July 2019, Port Royal Network announced plans for live streaming on Twitch. On-air personalities Main article: List of Port Royal Smash personalities The show features various on-air personalities including the players themselves (both males and females), commentators, and on-screen authority figures. Superstars also has had various recurring on-air segments hosted by members of the roster.